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Chapter 21
Previous Chapter A magnificent gem-studded chandelier greeted Kaz’s vision the moment he opened his eyes. He lifted his head and propped himself on his elbows. He was on a soft, cushiony leather couch. Grimacing at the painful throbbing that resonated in his head, he looked around and saw the interior of a large, beautifully decorated room. Kaz instantly sat straight up, alarmed at his sudden change of location. He had just been coming out of a junior college class with Kuroi, and the next thing he knew he was in a strange room with no idea of how he had gotten there. “Welcome back.” A voice Kaz had never heard before greeted him. He looked in the direction it came from and saw a lush mahogany desk. Seated behind the desk was a man with pale skin and black hair dressed in an expensive suit, reclining on a leather armchair and sipping wine from a glass. “Serena, our guest is awake, pour him a drink.” A curly-haired slender woman holding an iron in one hand hurried over to where Kaz was seated. In an instant, Kaz was holding a crystal drinking glass filled with an emerald green liquid. By the time he looked back up, the woman was already gone. “Quite efficient, isn’t she?” the black-haired man remarked. “She can get the wrinkles out of a suit before they even happen.” He glanced at Kaz, noting his alarmed appearance. “Please, drink. It’s not poison. Nor is it alcoholic.” Kaz eyed the glass suspiciously. The man chuckled. “Relax. It’s for the headache that you undoubtedly have right now. I’d rather you be in a focused and comfortable state before we begin.” Kaz reluctantly lifted the glass to his lips and tilted it back. The drink had a minty taste and went down smoothly. He felt a cool sensation surge through his body, and, true to the man’s word, the sharp throbbing in his head subsided within seconds after drinking. The man smiled. Despite his coal black hair and eyes, he bore no hint of Asian descent. Kaz’s suspicious gaze did not waver. “Why am I here? What did you do to Kuroi?” Kaz demanded. “Who are you?” Monochrome maintained his smile. It was not forced; it appeared that he either was actually was pleased to have Kaz in his presence or took pleasure in his watching his confusion. “You know the answers to your own questions. Well, aside from the fact that your friend is perfectly fine. We sent him on his way back. You lost consciousness due to your memories suddenly returning. As of now, most of them should be restored, meaning that you should remember who I am.” “Monochrome.” Monochrome’s smile curled at the corners upon the recognition of his identity. Kaz continued. “What do you want from me this time?” “To complete a task.” Kaz shook his head. “Forget it. I’ve got more important things to take care of.” Monochrome’s smile did not falter. “I will pretend, for this one instance, that you did not attempt to imply that my tasks are not a priority.” “Like I said, I have bigger issues to take care of. Find some other user to do your freelance work.” “And what other issues are so pressing that you must attend to them without even hearing me out?” Kaz glared at the well-dressed man. “You should know. If my memories have returned, that means that MERLIN was active at some point in this area. This is my chance to find them before they can detect my presence.” Monochrome raised an eyebrow. “Who do you think you are talking to? I am well aware of MERLIN’s presence and activity within this city. One of their headquarters has been established here, after all.” “What?!” Kaz exclaimed. “Where are they?! Give me their exact location!” Kaz set down his drink and stood up from the leather couch with clenched fists. Monochrome took another sip from his glass. “Please, calm down. You are right to feel a sense of urgency, as time is of the essence for the task at hand.” “Forget your task, this is our chance to take down MERLIN!” Monochrome let out a sharp laugh. “You think you can take down Organization MERLIN in your current state? You really think that you stand a chance without help? Keep in mind that it’s not likely they will risk capturing you again. Rather, it is more likely that they would extract from you immediately. You are trying to commit suicide here, Kaz, and for no reason whatsoever. So please, hear me out before ending yourself.” Kaz sat back down, still glaring at the man in front of him. “You’ve got five minutes, Monochrome.” “Excellent, considering that at this point the task at hand must be started within three. First, allow me to state the rewards should you accomplish this task. I will answer any three questions you have to the best of my vast and expansive knowledge. I am sure that you are aware of the value of such information.” Monochrome took another sip before continuing. “And now, let us discuss the task. Currently, and by that I mean at this very moment, the city’s museum is in the process of having one of its most renowned treasures stolen. The culprit is a man endowed with supernatural abilities, much like you are. That treasure is of significant interest to me for my company, and your mission is to retrieve it.” Monochrome touched a button on the desk, causing a large television nearby to flicker on and display the news station. The footage being shown depicted a sword-wielding man striking police officers down with unbelievable speed. Kaz furrowed his eyebrows. “If that person has powers, then that would make him a user. MERLIN would have captured him by now.” “And it is in through observation that we can deduce that MERLIN is not going to be arriving for a while. This case is completely out of the ordinary since MERLIN works so quickly in capturing users before their powers can be revealed to the public. If they haven’t addressed this case yet, it is likely that their agents are preoccupied with some other business. Meaning that there is no better time to act.” Monochrome pulled out a scroll and handed it to Kaz. “Unfortunately our time is running short. If MERLIN returns, they will make short work of him and take the relic for their own. I would much prefer that scenario be avoided. Your task is to retrieve the sword by any means possible. Serena will be escorting you to the transportation we have prepared for you. Please read that scroll on the way as it holds the key information that you will need for this task.” ... Next Chapter